:: a happy nest ::

owls!

Thea in her new skirt

Recently, Thea has fallen in love with skirts. I think it may be because I have been wearing them pretty much every day. I decided to make her a few simple skirts, and this is the first. I came across this sweet owl fabric, and I couldn't resist.

 

(not sure why the colors in this photo are so off - I've tried adjusting them, with no luck)

The skirt is a simple rectangle with a casing for the elastic waist. I made the rectangle width  1.5 times her waist measurement, but I think for the next one, I'll go a bit bigger for a more gathered effect.

Thea was so excited when she saw the owls. There's nothing like a look of delight on your wee one's face.

Up next is a special request from my sweet girl...stay tuned!

craft hope: pillowcase project.

colorful pillowcases, all stacked up

If you're not familiar with the Craft Hope project and blog, you simply must check it out. From their "about" page: Craft Hope is a love inspired project designed to share handmade crafts with those who need them.  It is our hope to combine our love for crafting and desire to help others into a project to make a difference around the world.

Craft Hope's most recent project was a pillowcase drive - where all pillowcases made will be donated to ConKerr Cancer, a wonderful project that provides colorful, cheerful pillowcases to kids with cancer during their hospital stays.

I made seven pillowcases, and dropped them off at my favorite local fabric store.

 

The Craft Hope pillowcase drive is over, but there is still a big push to have as many pillowcases as possible made and donated to ConKerr during the month of September. You can visit the ConKerr website to find out where to donate your cases.

Pillowcases are super-easy to make. And here's a fantastic little tutorial to get you started.

(I used up a bunch of fabric from my stash, and, as you can see, I clearly love polka dots!)

Happy sewing!

pinwheels for peace.

Today is the International Day of Peace. In celebration, the elementary school right across the street from us takes part in the Pinwheels for Peace project. The result is a marvelous display of colorful pinwheels - all created by students and their teachers. They've done this for several years, and we always enjoy the simple beauty of the pinwheels spinning in the breeze.

Above, you can see Thea getting a close look. Next year, I think I'll have her help me create a display for our very own yard.

Happy Tuesday!

grateful monday.

hooray for apples! {taken with Hipstamatic for iPhone}

Feeling grateful...

For pinwheels (more on this tomorrow).

For small steps toward big change.

For a car that doesn't shake and shudder incessantly.

For hints of autumn.

For preschool and a few extra hours of alone time each week.

For pretty yellow wildflowers blooming on the side of the road.

For Thea's very first made up song.

What are you feeling grateful for today?

market days.

We love the farmers market. And lucky for us, there are several right here in town. We always go to the big market on Saturdays, and usually to at least one in the middle of the week. The one pictured above is just a few miles down the road. I love the beautiful new pavilion that was finished just before the season began.

I love seeing all of the gorgeous and yummy produce and flowers, and knowing they were all grown close to home.

The best thing about this market has to be the chickens. There are about a dozen of them, and they live on a little farm just behind the market. One afternoon we met the farmer, and he invited us to come visit his hens whenever we like. What luck!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

pattern making, take one.

Lately, I've been really into learning how clothes are made. I thought a good way to practice was to try to make my own pattern from one of Thea's dresses.

Even though I measured carefully, it didn't turn out quite right on the first try. It was huge! But I reworked it, and I think it turned out pretty nicely. The fabric was cut from a vintage sheet.

When I first finished the dress, I thought it needed a little something else, so I added a pink flower. I think the flower is what Thea is most excited about.

If I made this pattern again, I'd make the dress a tad shorter, and of course, incorporate the adjustments I made. It was a bit of a long process, but I learned so much.

Not too bad for a first try, huh?

{grateful}.

sweet red dahlias (taken with Hipstamatic for iPhone)

Feeling grateful...

For a certain someone taking a nap.

For pretty, pretty flowers making my house (and me!) feel happy. (especially when those flowers are from my man).

For Thea's cloth diapers being all packed up and ready for storage.

For a lovely weekend spent just being together.

For happy kids' music. 

For a finished sewing project - finally (more details tomorrow).

For the feeling of sand under my toes.

That my girl loves the beach as much as I do.

What are you feeling grateful for today?